Example embodiments are directed to a wafer dividing apparatus and method thereof. The wafer dividing apparatus includes a chuck unit having upper and lower chucks, a cutting wire that is provided in a space between the upper and lower chucks to cut a wafer and driven by a first driving unit, and an etchant supplying nozzle supplying etchant to a groove of the wafer, which is formed by the cutting wire.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A wafer dividing method comprising: providing a chuck unit having upper and lower chucks; loading a wafer between the lower and upper chucks; cutting the wafer from an edge thereof by inserting a cutting wire in a space between the lower and upper chucks; and supplying an etchant to a groove of the wafer, the groove being formed by the cutting wire, wherein the upper chuck covers an upper sidewall of the wafer and the lower chuck covers a lower sidewall of the wafer.
2. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , wherein a space between the lower and upper chucks is greater than a diameter of the cutting wire by approximately 10-20 μm.
3. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , further comprising: removing pollutants generated by the cutting wire by injecting nitrogen.
4. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , further comprising: supplying the etchant while maintaining the wafer at a temperature of approximately 50-100° C.
5. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , further comprising: supplying deionized water to a portion of the wafer to which the etchant is supplied.
6. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , further comprising: driving the cutting wire by a driving unit; and varying a driving direction of the cutting wire.
7. The wafer dividing method of claim 6 , further comprising: cutting the wafer while reciprocating the cutting wire.
8. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , wherein cutting the wafer includes at least one of supplying a slurry containing grinding powder and cutting oil to the cutting wire, and using a cutting wire to which a grinding material is attached.
9. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting wire is under a tension of about 10-50N while dividing the wafer.
10. The wafer dividing method of claim 6 , wherein the varying is at irregular intervals.
11. The wafer dividing method of claim 6 , wherein the varying is at regular intervals.
12. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , further comprising: coating a surface of the cutting wire with a metal alloy including at least one of copper and nickel.
13. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , wherein the upper chuck includes a first recess region and the lower chuck includes a second recess region, the first recess region and the second recess region configured to face each other.
14. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , the chuck unit further comprising: a first attaching member in the first recess region; and a second attaching member in the second recess region.
15. The wafer dividing method of claim 1 , further comprising: rotating the upper and lower chucks while cutting the wafer.
16. A wafer dividing method comprising: providing a chuck unit having upper and lower chucks; loading a wafer between the lower and upper chucks; cutting the wafer from an edge thereof by inserting a cutting wire in a space between the lower and upper chucks; supplying an etchant to a groove of the wafer, the groove being formed by the cutting wire; and maintaining the wafer at a temperature between 50 and 100° C.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 11, 2010
August 13, 2013
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